SOTA c63s01
Text Scrivener Blooms and Luna Brynhild were striding slowly through the darkness together: around them, a forest that resembled the Everfree glowed and swayed with unnatural life, as alien stars shone down through the canopy above their heads. There was a faint, strange aura around everything that told the two this wasn't real... then again, they had figured that out after one look at each other, and seeing Scrivener in his mostly-Wyrm shape, and Luna... well... She was harder to describe. She wasn't scaled, but she her coat had a strange texture to it, almost like rubber. Her mane was darker, like more of the night had been sucked into the ephemeral locks that only half-hid a set of small, goat-like horns, and her hooves were cloven and... sharp-looking, somehow. Like she was wearing bladed shoes that had the faintest, dangerous curl to them. Not to mention the fact her crystalline horn seemed to be darker, yet shone with a core of malicious radiance. The two traded another look as they strode onwards down the deep path, ignoring the faint blue mist that twined every so often around their ankles, or the eyes that looked at them from the darkness between the trees. They could feel Twilight's presence just up ahead, calling them quietly onwards to where she was: neither of them could be sure if it was the real Twilight, though, or another figment of this strange, terrible, dark and... beautiful... dreamscape they were in. The path ended at a gorgeous, natural archway formed by curled trees, their branches twined together like lovers, fruits hanging like bells along them. The two looked up at this for a moment, then studied the brambles and black roses growing all along the trees before Scrivener asked softly: “I've always wondered. Do you think my obsession with these flowers is symbolic, or just a lot of selfishness because I have one tattooed on either hip?” “Probably a little of both, to speak true.” Luna remarked after a moment, and Scrivener smiled slightly at this before both ponies strode forwards through the arch, onto a narrow stone pathway that led towards a dark little village in the distance. They strode along the broken rock of the path, and were unsurprised to find Twilight Sparkle sitting at the outskirts. She smiled over her shoulder at them with the faintest blush in her stitched cheeks: her stitching was more prominent in this dream, made of some kind of thicker almost-cabling instead of string. There was something else, too, different about her, but neither of the ponies could put their hoof – or claw, maybe I should say – on it... “What do you think this is? Where are we?” Twilight asked softly, gesturing towards the black village: it was clearly Ponyville, but also clearly not. There was no safety wall, and only a few tall watchtowers around the edges of the city... but it was both majestic and terrible in its design, with tall buildings of polished dark ironwood and metal, everything with sharp edges, and where there were curves they always curved into nothingness or the abyss of the night sky above. It was madness, given shape and form and texture, and reason to exist. It was darkness, made beautiful and yet all the same warning clearly of what kinds of things lurked within these hallowed streets... yes, hallowed, for all the... the evil it reeked of. Because even if evil it was, the town sat here, calm and placid and minding its own business... and Scrivener and Luna traded looks before the sapphire mare said quietly: “Perhaps. Perhaps not. Look at Scrivener... why then, is he not a full Tyrant Wyrm? Why am I... I look more like a baby imp than a mighty demon. And thou... well... thy earrings glint in thy ears, thy collar is tight around thy neck, and yet thou art missing something, even if something else feels... added to thee. But neither Scrivener nor I can tell what.” Twilight Sparkle glanced down hesitantly, then she touched her breast gently before closing her eyes and drawing her hoof down, and the thick stitching covering that Y-shaped, permanent wound in her breast twisted itself loose and let the wound open just enough to see- “Kundalini.” Scrivener whispered; the Core of the Tyrant Wyrm. A single great, terrible, staring eye, and then he looked sharply up at her, but the flush that suffused Twilight's cheeks and the way the wound hurriedly closed itself told him that this was the real Twilight, not some figment of a dream. “But... does that mean...” “No, no, god no. No. I don't... I don't know what this is doing inside me. But I don't feel like one of... them. Horses of Heaven I don't ever want to become one of them.” Twilight shivered, and then she blushed again when Scrivener shifted awkwardly, the mare shaking her head hurriedly. “No, it's... I'm sorry, I didn't mean you. You... you're not like them, Scrivener. Even if you are, at the same time you... you aren't. You think, you feel, you exist to protect. Not destroy. You make me feel... safe.” She lowered her head embarrassedly, but Scrivener smiled a little as he glanced up at her, and Luna nodded firmly as well, murmuring: “Aye. 'Tis a good way to put it. Scrivy, do not be an idiot. Twilight Sparkle, also do not be an idiot, that is better left to myself and Scrivener Blooms. Perhaps 'tis just... this world's way of showing we are all connected. Or it is whatever is helping pave this dreamscape playing a sick and twisted game with us... is that it, Nightmare Moon and Valthrudnir?” But strangely, there was silence in return, and Luna looked awkwardly at the night sky for a few moments before she mumbled: “Well, at least 'tis a dream and I do not feel like a total idiot for yelling at enemies that perhaps are not watching us after all. Or maybe 'tis just a trick to make me look like a fool. Aye, that is likely it.” Scrivener and Twilight both looked at Luna, and there was a long silence for a few moments before Luna stomped a hoof and grumbled: “Wonderful. Thou both probably have eyes in thy chests, yet I am the freak and fool here because I happened to scream at the sky on the off-chance the very real parasites inside our linked souls were watching.” “The nightmare's not fluctuating with your emotions, though. So maybe they are here and forming this around us, but just not paying attention to us.” Scrivener said softly, glancing back and forth, and Luna frowned a little over at the stallion, who smiled awkwardly back and bowed his head a little. “Yeah. I'm worried. I don't mind being a monster but... I don't like seeing you two pulled into any of these sick games. You're a Valkyrie, Luna, a hero... and... Twilight, Lich or not... you're something even purer and better than us both. Even when you make the wrong decisions, after all... you still do it for the right reasons. Me and Luna? We tend to do the right thing as a byproduct, not... not as much by choice as we might both like.” Twilight blushed a little at this and dropped her head forwards, smiling faintly, and there was silence before Luna shook her head out and asked quietly: “Did thou see anything when thou wert dropped here, Twilight Sparkle? Or did thou simply awaken as we did, already on the move towards this place, as if... drawn to it?” “Yeah. I think we ended up in different locations because... all three of us are connected, but you share one soul. My soul technically stands apart from yours, even if all our life essence and vitality and everything else is mixed together.” the Lich replied, shaking her head a little. “But I feel like... I feel like... something's inside there. Calling to us all.” “Aye. I feel it too.” Luna murmured, and then she lowered her head, muttering as her cyan-green eyes glimmered: “Well... I have never been one for resisting temptation. Let us push inwards and see whatever 'tis this nightmare's illustrator desires us to see.” Twilight nodded hesitantly in response to this plan, and the three faced forwards for a few moments, only gazing into this dark, alien town before the three forced themselves to push onwards. The moment they crossed over the border, they all looked back and forth uneasily, like they expected something to spring out and attack them... but instead, there was only quiet. Not silence, no; they could hear something rustling, and whispers on the air, and perhaps the song of some night-bird not all that far away... It wasn't as hostile as any of them expected. And as they strode deeper, the air didn't become more menacing, but instead the world around them felt more welcoming, and they heard murmurs like old, lost friends were greeting them and welcoming them home. Eyes gazed out of windows and from alleyways, and the shapes and profiles of strange, dark ponies and other creatures made themselves known here and there, shifting and visible, but never clear. They made their way to the center of town, and found there was no longer any city hall here: the building had been torn down and replaced by some kind of shrine. It sat on a circular, stone foundation and was guarded by statues of demons, the black tile roof formed into a tall funnel over which grew ivy and vines and all manner of strange flora. Inside, clear and visible between the tall pillars that held up the rooftop, was a statue of Nightmare Moon in all her glory, posed pridefully in the center of a pool of black water. Luna, Scrivener, and Twilight all gazed in at this from the temple's open exterior, none of them quite wanting to dare striding into this both sacred and unholy place. A cold wind whispered by, and seemed to carry laughter on it before the feeling of the world around them changed. All three ponies turned slowly around to see that a dusting of frost had salted the earth of the square, and ice was beginning to spread over several of the buildings... likely all due to the presence of the Jötnar now calmly resting one hand against a lamppost, a smile on his face as cold as the frost spreading along the black iron. He was playing with what looked like a set of small rectangular chips carved from bones: Luna recognized them as runes. She glared at him as he made them dance along his knuckles, twisting and twirling with each other through his dexterous fingers as he asked in a soft, mellifluous voice: “Have you ever stopped to question the workings of Fate? Have you ever thought about the way that, no matter how much you fight it, all of existence seems to continue to move in one decided direction, against which you are helpless to resist being pulled? Do you know why this is?” “Because thou art some grand masterful manipulator, aye, we are all utterly helpless against thy designs. Oh alas, look at us, quaking in fear of thy absolute absoluteness.” Luna said disgustedly, flailing her hooves a little, and Valthrudnir rolled his eyes in distaste as he clenched his runes in his hand, standing straight as Scrivener and Twilight both only frowned at the dragon. Valthrudnir looked moodily down at his hand, and then he suddenly gave a smile again, but his eyes were dark and dangerous as he slowly opened his fist. And instead of runes, a tall, bottle-shaped doll was revealed, painted to look as if it was wearing what looked almost like a black burka, with vulture-skinned hands resting by its waist. The three ponies snarled after a moment as they recognized who the doll was supposed to be, and Valthrudnir lowered his hand away, leaving the porcelain doll sitting in air. He smiled coldly as he reached up and grasped the head of the Urd-shaped toy, and all three were surprised when he pulled the upper half of the body away to reveal a smaller doll hidden inside, which hopped out onto thin air beside Urd of its own volition. It was painted in a dress, with a mask over its 'face:' Verdandi. Valthrudnir placed the Urd toy back together, speaking calmly as his fingers settled over Verdandi: “What fools they were, the Norns. Calling themselves 'Fate,' declaring that everything they decided was meant to be...” He pulled upwards, revealing a third, smaller still doll inside of Verdandi, which hopped out into thin air: Skuld. She was painted in exquisite detail, from the hood that hid most of her features apart from her sneering rosy lips, to the cloak and raiment she bedecked herself in: had bedecked herself in... Luna had annihilated her in combat. “As if things were so simple. As if all the universe could be controlled by three self-righteous sisters who fought to control every aspect all by themselves. “Do not misunderstand me: I admired their desire for order, and sympathized with their want to do everything themselves... but that is not how you win the game.” Valthrudnir set Verdandi's top half back onto the doll, then he easily waved his hand behind them, and the three toys hopped through the air in the direction he gestured, following his movements. “Order is about things working together, in perfect conjunction with each other. A pocketwatch is not a masterwork because of its shining golden body, but the hundreds of tiny parts that all work together inside of it. I do not see myself as the Norns, trying to give directions to a million different players on a thousand different stages performing hundreds upon hundreds of varied plays: I am the clockmaker, and the universe is my pocketwatch.” Scrivener shivered at this, then he said quietly: “You're a puppeteer. Trying to make us all toys in your mechanized show. But that didn't work with Decretum, did it? Even when you succeed in your ideas they never turn out like you want them to.” Valthrudnir only smiled contemptibly at this, saying softly: “Yes, but I've had time to think about where I went wrong with those projects... and of course, let's not forget that I have been forced to learn I am not above being tampered with. It was a foolish miscalculation on my part: I myself was immune to the powers of the Norns, but not Decretum and my projects. But you've dealt with those self-righteous postulants for me.” Valthrudnir clenched his hand into a fist, and all three porcelain dolls fell to the ground, shattering into dust. The Jötnar smiled calmly, his amber eyes glinting darkly. “And yet all the same, you fools still seem to believe yourselves tied to a 'destiny' that they ordained for you. But I do not believe the Fates were as cunning or as powerful as they liked to seem. No, I think they were like... like stupid monkeys that have learned to use tools by imitating their betters. All they did was read into the complex and beautiful interplay of molecules and atoms, interpret the chemical responses of you little plebeians, who are such slaves to your biochemistry and psychology.” “I do not even know what thou art talking about. I have free will, Valthrudnir: and if I was truly a slave to my breeding and bloodlust, then I assure thee I would have smashed through thy barrier long ago and damned the risks in killing thee.” Luna growled in response, leaning forwards and narrowing her eyes. “Thou art nothing but swine and filth. Thou art nothing but a craven coward, a pathetic parasite apparently willing to crawl into his own 'failed creation' in order to attempt to save is wretched excuse for existence.” The dragon narrowed his eyes dangerously, and then he gestured coldly around at the dark village, asking disgustedly: “And what about you, Valkyrie? Look at this world we stand in: you lay the blame at my doorstep, but like any other member of the ignorant and spineless masses, you are inconsistent in the application of guilt and blame. You would hold the creation of this dark world around us against me, but this is not my doing: this is yours. Do you truly hold me completely accountable for what all three of you are on the road to becoming? Oh yes, Nihete I have urged along because it suits my aims and ends, but if he truly desired to be or saw himself as something else, then why would he continue to evolve and transform in that same direction after your self-proclaimed 'defeat' of me?” Valthrudnir shook his head slowly, then he gestured irritably at the piles of porcelain dust on the ground, and a moment later not dolls, but images of the Norns themselves were standing in front of them: three tall females, all their faces hidden, Urd with her cloth-wrapped head bowed, Verdandi glaring out from behind her ominous, bolted-on mask, Skuld grinning callously as she slowly ground the sword in one hand against a rune-covered staff in the other. “The Norns attempted to rewrite your story, into that... disgusting pile of sloppy, plot-hole filled drivel you entitled Because Love Conquers All. They told you that was what you would one day become, and even though they are gone and dead, you unsophisticated proletariats are now self-fulfilling their prophecy of lies. “You look at me, and think I am worthy of contempt because... I strive to create a universe devoid of debasement and the purposelessness in which every day, you wretched little mortals squander yourselves away with? I am designer, a creator, an... an artist! What are you then, who spend your lives striving only for ineptitude, to waste your existences away in some childish idea of 'comfort,' pissing away what you could accomplish because apparently free will means the will to spend your days lazing and humping each other instead of working for the betterment of yourselves and the evolution of the muddy cesspit you call society!” Valthrudnir stepped forwards and swung his arm out, shattering the images of all three Norns as he snarled at the trio of ponies, who only stared in disbelief up at the Jötnar. For a few moments, there was an awkward silence, and then Luna said finally: “I must argue that sometimes humping is a good thing, Valthrudnir. For without it, there would be no foals.” The dragon slowly closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands, grinding his teeth together loudly as reality visibly twisted around him with his frustration. Scrivener and Twilight both stared disbelievingly at Luna as she cleared her throat awkwardly, rearing back slightly as she all the same couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen if and when the Jötnar finally snapped from all the pent-up stress and frustration. Silence spiraled out, and then the ivory-scaled dragon finally dropped his arms and stared up at the alien sky above listlessly, looking oddly... defeated. It was a strange expression on the giant's face, as he muttered: “Why do I even bother attempting to explain myself to you three? Why do I even bother attempting to stop you from reaching the self-destructive end of your story, which I am somehow sure will result in a calamity far worse than anything I have created, because at least my destruction has always been merited by the ends which I wish to achieve.” Luna snorted at this, then she shifted uneasily as she muttered: “I do not know if that is a compliment or an insult. 'Tis nice that thou recognizes nothing in the universe can quite bring down wrath like I am capable of.” Valthrudnir looked distastefully across at Luna, while Scrivener only dropped his head with a grimace. Another literary metaphor... more than that, were Valthrudnir's behaviors becoming more exaggerated? Were there more hints of his own likeness in the Jötnar? Twilight seemed to recognize it too as she looked uneasily at Scrivener, and then Valthrudnir shook his head slowly before the dragon gestured around at the dark town they stood in, asking: “How can you see this as an end to be proud of, Valkyrie? Look around at where we are. Look at its populace... creatures lurking in the shadows, demons, entities that feed on emotion and strive only for power. That do not work together unless there is application of force, like a broken engine that requires a manual crank, and even then still does not perpetuate.” Luna shrugged after a moment, then she looked up and whistled quietly, and dark-coated ponies emerged from the homes and buildings: the Pegasi possessed leathery wings, and the unicorns cloven hooves and tufted tails, and the earth ponies rubbery coats and sharpened teeth. Skeletons and animated dead strode beside them, as did demons and Nightmares and Phooka and countless other beings that were all at peace with one-another, in spite of their primal natures. “Aye, I see, but does thou, Valthrudnir? They have all learned to work together, better by far than thy machines... for they are alive, but thou forgets that chaos is not a killer. Order kills. Order will do what it must to keep its machinations running smoothly, but when they run no more, then it would prefer to leave them dead and silent instead of letting them adapt.” Luna replied quietly, gesturing around at the creatures of darkness. “But chaos survives, and nature grows and evolves. And in the struggle in the wild, rabbit and wolf may live together side-by-side so long as the predator is well-fed.” Valthrudnir snorted at this, replying distastefully: “Creatures of base instinct still sometimes kill for pleasure. Creatures of so-called 'intelligence' kill for pleasure more often.” “Aye, that is something thou would know well.” Luna replied ironically, and when Valthrudnir glared at her, she only shook her head slowly. “They will learn from their leaders, if strong. They will learn from rewards and punishments, if doled out fairly and consistently. But I do not expect thou to understand. Thou art a tyrant, a monarch who believes all must bow to his designs, upon which he, so-called 'clockmaker' rules over alone. Is it lonely atop thy mountain, Valthrudnir? Is that why thou insists upon engaging us in these debates?” The dragon snorted in disgust, then replied contemptibly: “At least I am not an idealist and a communist like you are, Valkyrie. Or at least, that seems to be the idea you would sell to your so-called people. You clearly desire to hoard power yourself.” “I do.” Luna said quietly, and Valthrudnir seemed surprised by this admission before the winged unicorn stepped forwards and looked coldly up at the Jötnar. “Why would we deny it? Thou hast seen us. Peeked at our minds and morals. Twilight Sparkle knows. And both Scrivener and I accepted it long ago, we both have a thirst for power and control. But the difference between us and thou, Valthrudnir? We admit our failings and do our best to limit ourselves. Thou art nothing but a spoilt child who insists he can handle more and more responsibility in spite of how he has already left the house in disarray.” The dragon looked less than pleased at this, his fingers clenching into fists before he rose one hand in front of himself and snapped his fingers, and all around them, the populace of the town turned to ashes and dust that blew quickly away in a scathing wind. Beneath their hooves, the world groaned as if in pain, before buildings twisted and warped as spikes of ice ripped out of walls and rooftops, jutting towards the sky as black mire began to flood out from windows and wounds in the structures all around them. The three ponies stepped backwards, staring in shock, as metal pipes and girders ripped out of the ground, and buildings snapped apart, vomiting out black sludge as their skeletal frameworks trembled before rapidly reconstructing themselves into sinister towers and monoliths. Ice and mire spread, forming awful structures of their own, taking on their own alien life as the three were forced to retreat back into the temple. And Valthrudnir only glared at them, his amber eyes challenging them to react as the world shuddered beneath their hooves, before the temple suddenly lurched violently upwards, the solid stone foundation shoved into the sky as a massive tree sprouted from the ground beneath it. Enormous vines wrapped up around the pillars and fenced in the walls as Valthrudnir reared back in surprise from the geysers of corruption that burst up around the immense black ash growing up from the crater left behind, and alien warmth and life ripped through the mire as it was taken over by some primal, dark force, melting the ice as hungry vines and plants ripped up through the black ooze. Valthrudnir grimaced in disgust as vines snapped up out of the dark sludge and wrapped around one of his arms, tearing his suit and cutting against his scales before he ripped the limb backwards with a snarl and tore free of the vines. A squealing rose up from the plants as they bled thick black sap, and he shook the severed tendrils hurriedly off while snapping the fingers of his free hand, the ground beneath and around him bursting into flames. They licked harmlessly against his legs and tail, but incinerated the plants and mire around him, before he looked coldly up as quiet laughter filled the air. Slowly, a massive shape rose over the temple, covering it in shadow as two immense, cloven hooves reached up to gently grasp the sides of it. Scarred features leaned over a building that was tiny compared to this fearsome entity, and sharp teeth bared in a grin as a mane of burning flames twisted back and forth, filling the world with ill blue light. “Now this is no way to treat our friends, is it, Lord Valthrudnir?” Nightmare Moon loomed over them all: monstrous, gigantic, terrible. Scrivener, Luna, and Twilight all turned disbelieving eyes towards the massive form of the creature, and Valthrudnir brushed slowly at himself, then looked with distaste at his torn clothing, before the colossus chastised gently: “Nor is this your playground, but mine, meant to show you and sweet Luna... what we could all achieve together. A mix of harmony and chaos, of good and evil, all things in balance. Please do not play with what is not yours, Lord Valthrudnir, and leave me to my designs... you wouldn't want to make me upset, would you?” There was silence for a few moments, and then Valthrudnir snorted in disgust before he simply vanished from existence. Nightmare Moon laughed quietly at this, the sound echoing through the entire dark world, before she leaned carefully down and gazed into what was only a tiny cage compared to her, in which Scrivener and Luna and Twilight were no larger than grasshoppers. “Hello, my children. Do not fear... we shall never let him harm you...” “Thou... thou art...” Luna shivered after a moment, staring up at the creature, at all the implications that had just been drawn before the sapphire mare whispered: “But how? By what madness... by what forbidden art hast thou become so powerful? How can thou threaten and do harm unto the Jötnar when we cannot?” Nightmare Moon smiled calmly at this , replying kindly: “Do not strain yourself, my darling Luna. Only know that you are safe, and he plays a most important role... we will let no harm come to you, though. Let us continue to strive to work together... but also know that even if I am powerful, I cannot risk removing Valthrudnir from your minds, even if the request came from my King of the Night. Just because I can harm him, does not mean I can do so with impunity: there will still be consequences to Scrivener Blooms if I do so. But I am also sure that the knowledge he is no longer beyond our touch will help him with his decisions to cooperate with us in the future.” There was silence for a few moments, and then Nightmare Moon laughed quietly before she drew slowly backwards, her body becoming translucent darkness that was filled with terrible, cold constellations of stars and swirling, hostile galaxies, her eyes becoming green, twin suns as she said lovingly down to them: “Do not fear. We shall always protect you. Do what is right for all of you... our Mistresses and King of the Night. And soon... you will never have to fear any enemy, ever again...” The unearthly entity slowly faded from sight,and Luna, Scrivener and Twilight traded uneasy looks before the Lich swallowed thickly as her eyes turned silently towards the grinning statue at the center of the temple. She could feel the same fear in Scrivener and Luna as she felt... but also that hideous, warped sense of love, that twisted eagerness... and in herself, much as she tried to deny it... worship, and adoration. For Nightmare Moon, for Luna Brynhild, for Scrivener Blooms. Twilight clenched her eyes shut and swallowed thickly, hugging herself and shivering as the stitching over her body pulsed before she whispered something her mind begged for, but her heart, oh, her heart didn't want at all: “Let's get out of here.” Luna and Scrivener looked silently over at the Lich, then nodded slowly and strode towards her, only hugging Twilight tightly. Slowly, surreality melted away around them into a black void... but Twilight could still feel Nightmare Moon there, watching and waiting, and whispering her dangerous promises to them all. Top ↑